Born in Argentina, he played for the Spain national team at international level.

Gárate was born to Basque parents in Argentina and grew up in Eibar, Spain.

Along with Luis Aragonés, Adelardo, Javier Irureta, Enrique Collar, and Ufarte, he was a prominent member of the successful Atlético side of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

He made his debut on 22 October 1967 against Czechoslovakia and played his last game against Romania on 17 April 1975.

During this period Spain failed to qualify for either the European Championships or World Cup, and as a result he never played in the finals of a major international competition.